On the Logic Ladder you learned to find an argument’s conclusion first. In writing, the conclusion you argue for is your claim. After the appeals, the next question is: what kind of claim is it? Claims come in three kinds, and each asks a different question.
| Kind | Asks | Example | What you owe the reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fact | Is it so? Was it so? Will it be so? | Most students at our school sleep less than eight hours on school nights. | evidence that it is true (a survey, records, measurements) |
| Value | Is it good or bad, better or worse, right or wrong? | The 7:15 start is the worst part of our school day. | criteria for judging, then evidence that the thing meets them |
| Policy | What should we do? | The district should start high school at 8:30. | a problem, a solution, and reasons the solution will work and is worth its costs |
Key idea
A claim of fact says what is true; a claim of value judges; a claim of policy says what should be done. Name the kind, and you know what support the claim needs.
Why it works
Each kind of claim makes a different promise. A claim of fact promises evidence. A claim of value promises standards of judgment. A claim of policy promises a workable plan. Writers who mix them up give the wrong support: a pile of statistics for a value claim, or a moral judgment where the reader wanted a plan.
Worked example: The word is can fool you
Is “Homework is useless” a claim of fact or of value?
- It uses is, like a fact. But useless is a judgment, not a measurement.
- Ask: could a survey or a ruler settle it? Only after we agree what “useful” means: higher grades, better habits, more practice?
- So it is a claim of value. To argue it, first set the criteria, then show homework fails them.
- A related claim of fact: “Students in our survey spent an average of 70 minutes a night on homework.”
Answer: Value: useless is a judgment that needs criteria.
Worked example: Claims stack up
An editorial argues that the town should plant trees on Main Street. Find a claim of each kind in its case.
- Fact: streets with trees are cooler in summer than bare streets. (Measurable.)
- Value: a cooler, shadier street is better for people who walk and shop there. (A judgment.)
- Policy: the town should plant trees on Main Street. (An action.)
- Policy claims usually rest on claims of fact and value underneath.
Answer: Fact (trees cool streets), value (cooler is better for walkers), policy (plant the trees).
Common mistake
Confusing a claim of value with a claim of fact because both use is. “The new library is beautiful” and “The new library is too small” are judgments; “The new library has 40 study seats” is a fact. Check: could people agree on a way to measure it before they argue? If the argument is really about standards, it is a value claim.
Debaters sort resolutions the same way; see Reading a Resolution in the Debate section.